You are right, not everyone is cut out for or needs college. Good column. One problem is the continuing high status of higher education. Many parents inculcate their kids with the notion that they are failures if they don’t have a college degree. This view is powerful and long lasting. I’m sure the parents of those kids at Berber would have been apoplectic if they announced that they wanted to be police officers, firefighters. electricians or plumbers.
I agree with the overall thrust of the argument. Like you, I took several shop classes. Unlike you, I developed exactly zero skills! What I would add to your post is the need to reinstate/reimagine vocational high schools where those who don't need or want a college education can develpo marketable skills for the future economy. I agree with Sue--lay off Moby Dick!
Problem is the need for college, or lack of need, keeps changing. I graduated high school in 1974 and at the time there were lots of good jobs for HS grads. Then we had the offshoring and downsizing of the 80s and 90s and lots of those jobs went away. Then, especially with the increase in tech jobs, we started thinking everyone needed a college degree. Now we are back to thinking that isn’t the case, but not because jobs don’t need advanced skills, but because we recognize there are other ways of gaining the requisite skills (e.g., boot camps, self study, on-line courses, etc.). You need to skate to where the puck is going to be, tough thing is figuring out where it will be when you graduate, let alone over your entire career.
Hey Ben quit picking on Moby Dick!
It was Professor X who made his point with Moby Dick. The whale is just too big to ignore.
You are right, not everyone is cut out for or needs college. Good column. One problem is the continuing high status of higher education. Many parents inculcate their kids with the notion that they are failures if they don’t have a college degree. This view is powerful and long lasting. I’m sure the parents of those kids at Berber would have been apoplectic if they announced that they wanted to be police officers, firefighters. electricians or plumbers.
And I meant to write Beeber
I agree with the overall thrust of the argument. Like you, I took several shop classes. Unlike you, I developed exactly zero skills! What I would add to your post is the need to reinstate/reimagine vocational high schools where those who don't need or want a college education can develpo marketable skills for the future economy. I agree with Sue--lay off Moby Dick!
Problem is the need for college, or lack of need, keeps changing. I graduated high school in 1974 and at the time there were lots of good jobs for HS grads. Then we had the offshoring and downsizing of the 80s and 90s and lots of those jobs went away. Then, especially with the increase in tech jobs, we started thinking everyone needed a college degree. Now we are back to thinking that isn’t the case, but not because jobs don’t need advanced skills, but because we recognize there are other ways of gaining the requisite skills (e.g., boot camps, self study, on-line courses, etc.). You need to skate to where the puck is going to be, tough thing is figuring out where it will be when you graduate, let alone over your entire career.